Sarah F
Blog Entry # 4
July 18, 2009
LIS 855
“Copyright gives authors, artists and others the right to exclude others from using their works. Federal rights arise automatically when a protectable work has been fixed in a tangible medium such as a floppy disk or hard drive. A poem or picture is as much protected on a disk as on a piece of paper or canvas.” (http://www.piercelaw.edu/thomasfield/ipbasics/copyright-on-the-internet.php) Copyright effects individuals on a daily basis. We read print newspaper and internet news without ever giving a second thought to the copyright law that protects the information that we are reading or copying. News must be from a reputable source and be copyrighted in order to protect the author of the article regardless of the form in which it is presented. Copyright law in the U.S. is based on the Copyright Act of 1976, a federal statute that went into effect on January 1, 1978. (http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Jan/1/241476.html)
Newspapers are still read today even though many people subscribe to internet news sites. People expect to see newspapers available for purchase and viewing. I went to the New York Times web site and examined their copyright notification. It states that, “All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of The New York Times Company or in the case of third party materials, the owner of that content. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. However, you may download material from The New York Times on the Web (one machine readable copy and one print copy per page) for your personal, noncommercial use only.” (http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/copyright.html) I believe that print and internet news must follow guidelines in order to ensure that authors have their original works protected. Many times patrons at the library want to copy articles for their own use out of the print newspaper. This would be “Fair Use” of the materials. “One of the rights accorded to the owner of copyright is the right to reproduce or to authorize others to reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords. This right is subject to certain limitations found in sections 107 through 118 of the copyright law. Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair:
The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
The nature of the copyrighted work
The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work
The distinction between fair use and infringement may be unclear and not easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission.” (http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html) Patrons making photocopies of articles for their own use must be sure to follow the correct copyright laws when they are copying someone else’s work from a print newspaper. We know that print news is from a reputable source because if we look at the copyright agreements and information about the individual articles, each article is copy written. The newspaper owns the articles printed in their paper and there is a trademark and a copyright license and terms of agreement.
Internet news is very popular with the use of sites such as Yahoo News, MSNBC, Facebook, and Twitter plus print newspapers now offer their news online to customers who pay to subscribe. News can be reported on the internet from a reputable source but it can also be reported from a person writing their own story and taking their own pictures. These stories can be biased and have one opinion of the information reported upon. By clicking on the “I agree” button in the terms and conditions agreement you are agreeing to the web site’s information on copyright. Many consumers click on “I agree” before fully reading and understanding the user agreement. Internet news from a reputable source will also be protected under copyright and have a license and terms of agreement policy. The information will be from a reputable news source and it is delivered quickly to you via the internet. As consumers, you need to be aware of sites that offer news that is not supported by a reputable news agency or company. This news can be presented by others as reputable news but in fact is the author’s own opinions. Internet news should be approached cautiously to ensure that what is being read is correct.
Television, cell phones, and PDA’s are three other ways that news is transmitted to the public. Television news is the source people tend to rely upon because it has always been available and it is trusted by many consumers. Cell phones and PDA’s are also becoming devices that people use to get their news and communicate with others. We have recently seen countless pictures and news stories coming from individuals from their personal devices. These sources are not always reliable and they have personal opinions attached to the stories behind the pictures.
Copyright should be taken seriously. Consumers do not understand the importance of following copyright laws and rules to protect works that others have written. Print newspapers are becoming a thing of the past and that leaves consumers to rely up on the internet and television for their news. Internet news must be told from a reputable source in order to prolong its existence. Consumers want to keep up with technology so they can get the fastest news that is just a click away. Patrons need to be aware of the news difference and make sure that they are getting their news from a reputable source by checking the license, terms and agreement, and privacy policy of each individual web site that they use for their news source.
Bibliography:
Pierce Law . 2008. Pierce Law Center. 18 July 2009. http://www.piercelaw.edu/thomasfield/ipbasics/copyright-on-the-internet.php.
New York Times. 2009. New York Times Company. 18 July 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/copyright.html.
Find Law. 2009. Find Law, a Thomas Reuters business. 18 July 2009. http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Jan/1/241476.html.
United States Copyright Office.15 Jul. 2009. U.S. Copyright Office. 18 July 2009. http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Can We Believe Everything We Hear and See?
Sarah Flanagan
LIS 855
Blog Entry # 3
July 4, 2009
“If you happen across the Iraq Body Count Web site, you will be accosted by a shot of B-2 bombers dropping payloads against the backdrop of a serene blue sky. “If all goes 100% as planned (the bomb does not fall outside of its specified margin of error of 13 meters, and the GPS guidance system is not foiled by a $50 radio jammer kit, easily purchased), then here is what one such bomb does: everyone within a 120 meter radius is killed," the home page states. Next to the text, a stopwatch clocks Iraq's civilian dead. At press time, there were approximately 300 minumim and 400 maximum, according to the site.” (http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/pqdweb?index=1&did=320685181&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1246727232&clientId=12286 This article points out that numbers like this are not released except by the Pentagon. This web site is supposed to be an accurate count of important newsworthy information. Iraq is the current political issue and news reporters want to appear to be giving out reputable information. The article goes on to state that, “iraqbodycount.net, gets 100,000 hits a day.” This shows that people use these news items for money and fame.
In the past few weeks we have seen countless examples of citizens taking the news into their own hands. Individuals believe that they can better tell a story from their own point of view. Many times the story that is conveyed is very opinionated and false. Common tools that we utilize daily have become the public’s way of transferring news stories from one to another. The internet, cell phones, and digital cameras allow images to be taken and put up on the internet in a matter of seconds. News is now available 24/7 and people don’t stop to think about what they are doing and how it could affect others. This week in the news there have been many high profile stories that have been corrupted.
One of the first news worthy stories that has happened is Michael Jackson’s death. I was at work when he died and someone came to the circulation desk and told us that he was dead. The staff immediately looked at MSN.com which was reporting that he was rushed to the hospital but that they were still trying to save his life. Already people using Face Book, My Space and Twitter had found out that he was dead before it was announced by a reputable source. “Patrick Swayze, who is battling pancreatic cancer, recently had to defend that he is indeed still alive after thousands of Twitter uses spread the news that he was dead.” (Coyle) This is the weakness of instant news because sometimes false information is given.
The Iran election has also been another heated issue this week in the news. The Coyle article stated that, “While involvement in the protests in Iran might be Twitter’s most meaningful achievement thus far, some have noted that inaccuracies were circulated.” (Coyle) Following the presidential election in Iran, as a result of the protests and quite public displays of outrage followed by the attacks on demonstrators by government police squads, the reputable news agencies had been ordered to leave the country. Protesting citizens continued to take pictures and were posting photos and video by using cell phones and internet sites. The Iranian government decided to shut down their internet and other devices so that their news could not be leaked out of their country to the rest of the world. So many people have been allowing images and results of their elections to be reported on by the public. These elections are important and need to be reported on by a reputable source.
How do we know what sources are reputable? This is a question that needs to be considered by television, internet, cell phone, and Twitter users. News is transmitted from sources and directly put on the internet. People can now put their life stories on the internet and put whatever pictures they want on the internet. This information can be copied or sold to a newsworthy source. The copyright laws should protect these personal photos and information. We are a part of the news that we make. Who should be able to determine what news can be used and copied on the internet?
News is available to the public 24 hours a day. We are constantly bombarded by stories and opinions based on news stories. Nothing is filtered and we become exposed to these stories all the time. Sometimes we need to break away from these stories and begin to realize that there is more to life than constant news coverage. With increased technology exposure to positive and negative news is constant.
According to the an article by Jake Coyle entitled Is Twitter the News Outlet for the 21st Century it states that, “Twitter’s constantly updating record of up to the minute reaction has some instances threatened to usurp media coverage of breaking news. It has also helped many celebrities, athletes and politicians bypass the media to get their message directly to their respective sites.” (Coyle) Getting the news quickly is helpful because it allows news to be immediate. People expect things instantaneously and want immediate gratification. News needs to not only be instant, but reliable so that this great technology can be utilized in a positive manner.
We hear positive and negative news constantly and have to determine whether the news is precise or inaccurate. With the use of increased computer and phone technologies news is always available for viewing.
Bibliography:
Coyle, Jake. (2009) Is Twitter the News Outlet for the 21st Century. Associated Press MSNBC Online. Retrieved July 1, 2009, from http:// www.msn.com/id/31681758/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/pri
Suzanne Smalley. (2003, April). Counting civilians: Iraq's war dead. Newsweek, 141(14), 11. Retrieved July 4, 2009, from Research Library Core. (Document ID: 320685181).
LIS 855
Blog Entry # 3
July 4, 2009
“If you happen across the Iraq Body Count Web site, you will be accosted by a shot of B-2 bombers dropping payloads against the backdrop of a serene blue sky. “If all goes 100% as planned (the bomb does not fall outside of its specified margin of error of 13 meters, and the GPS guidance system is not foiled by a $50 radio jammer kit, easily purchased), then here is what one such bomb does: everyone within a 120 meter radius is killed," the home page states. Next to the text, a stopwatch clocks Iraq's civilian dead. At press time, there were approximately 300 minumim and 400 maximum, according to the site.” (http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/pqdweb?index=1&did=320685181&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1246727232&clientId=12286 This article points out that numbers like this are not released except by the Pentagon. This web site is supposed to be an accurate count of important newsworthy information. Iraq is the current political issue and news reporters want to appear to be giving out reputable information. The article goes on to state that, “iraqbodycount.net, gets 100,000 hits a day.” This shows that people use these news items for money and fame.
In the past few weeks we have seen countless examples of citizens taking the news into their own hands. Individuals believe that they can better tell a story from their own point of view. Many times the story that is conveyed is very opinionated and false. Common tools that we utilize daily have become the public’s way of transferring news stories from one to another. The internet, cell phones, and digital cameras allow images to be taken and put up on the internet in a matter of seconds. News is now available 24/7 and people don’t stop to think about what they are doing and how it could affect others. This week in the news there have been many high profile stories that have been corrupted.
One of the first news worthy stories that has happened is Michael Jackson’s death. I was at work when he died and someone came to the circulation desk and told us that he was dead. The staff immediately looked at MSN.com which was reporting that he was rushed to the hospital but that they were still trying to save his life. Already people using Face Book, My Space and Twitter had found out that he was dead before it was announced by a reputable source. “Patrick Swayze, who is battling pancreatic cancer, recently had to defend that he is indeed still alive after thousands of Twitter uses spread the news that he was dead.” (Coyle) This is the weakness of instant news because sometimes false information is given.
The Iran election has also been another heated issue this week in the news. The Coyle article stated that, “While involvement in the protests in Iran might be Twitter’s most meaningful achievement thus far, some have noted that inaccuracies were circulated.” (Coyle) Following the presidential election in Iran, as a result of the protests and quite public displays of outrage followed by the attacks on demonstrators by government police squads, the reputable news agencies had been ordered to leave the country. Protesting citizens continued to take pictures and were posting photos and video by using cell phones and internet sites. The Iranian government decided to shut down their internet and other devices so that their news could not be leaked out of their country to the rest of the world. So many people have been allowing images and results of their elections to be reported on by the public. These elections are important and need to be reported on by a reputable source.
How do we know what sources are reputable? This is a question that needs to be considered by television, internet, cell phone, and Twitter users. News is transmitted from sources and directly put on the internet. People can now put their life stories on the internet and put whatever pictures they want on the internet. This information can be copied or sold to a newsworthy source. The copyright laws should protect these personal photos and information. We are a part of the news that we make. Who should be able to determine what news can be used and copied on the internet?
News is available to the public 24 hours a day. We are constantly bombarded by stories and opinions based on news stories. Nothing is filtered and we become exposed to these stories all the time. Sometimes we need to break away from these stories and begin to realize that there is more to life than constant news coverage. With increased technology exposure to positive and negative news is constant.
According to the an article by Jake Coyle entitled Is Twitter the News Outlet for the 21st Century it states that, “Twitter’s constantly updating record of up to the minute reaction has some instances threatened to usurp media coverage of breaking news. It has also helped many celebrities, athletes and politicians bypass the media to get their message directly to their respective sites.” (Coyle) Getting the news quickly is helpful because it allows news to be immediate. People expect things instantaneously and want immediate gratification. News needs to not only be instant, but reliable so that this great technology can be utilized in a positive manner.
We hear positive and negative news constantly and have to determine whether the news is precise or inaccurate. With the use of increased computer and phone technologies news is always available for viewing.
Bibliography:
Coyle, Jake. (2009) Is Twitter the News Outlet for the 21st Century. Associated Press MSNBC Online. Retrieved July 1, 2009, from http:// www.msn.com/id/31681758/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/pri
Suzanne Smalley. (2003, April). Counting civilians: Iraq's war dead. Newsweek, 141(14), 11. Retrieved July 4, 2009, from Research Library Core. (Document ID: 320685181).
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